The present invention is directed to a deck assembly for use in retrofitting existing bleachers by replacing the foot board of the bleachers which provides a walkway surface, and in particular to a deck assembly including a toe riser and a heel riser for substantially enclosing the areas between the walkway surface and the adjacent rows of seats in the bleachers.
Many existing installations of bleachers include narrow foot boards which are located between adjacent rows of seats. These narrow foot boards leave large openings in the areas between the foot board and the rows of seats to the front and to the rear of the foot board. A spectator walking along the narrow foot board can easily have a foot slip through these openings. In addition, the openings pose the danger of a small child falling through the opening and of personal belongings of spectators falling through the openings. Safety codes that have issued since the installation of such bleachers require that any opening between the seat board and foot board that is located more than thirty inches above grade shall be provided with intermediate construction such that a four inch diameter sphere cannot pass. Many existing installations of bleachers do not meet the code requirement as the openings in the areas between the seat board and the foot board are dangerously large and will allow a four inch diameter sphere to pass. The present invention allows the retrofitting of existing non-code bleachers into compliance with safety code requirements.